“I’m comfortable in saying that Karl will be the manager next season because he wants to be,” said Winkelman.

“If he wants it and he’s got that drive, ambition then he understands the club so much better that someone else.”

He continued to BBC Look East: “He already has a promotion out of League One and he’s somebody that when we make mistakes, we make them honestly and ultimately, I trust him.

Robinson, 35, was unable to keep the Dons up in their first-ever season in the Championship.

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Karl Robinson has been MK Dons manager since replacing Paul Ince in 2010

Following relegation, Robinson publically said he felt the club should have used the money received from Tottenham for midfielder Dele Alli more wisely, and Winkelman admitted mistakes had been made with recruitment.

“Everybody had to get off their chests the things they felt were wrong and that’s part of the cathartic nature of sorting out problems,” said Winkelman.

“We needed to talk. Karl needed to look me in the eye and know I would continue to invest in him and I needed to look in his eye and know that if I’m going to do that he’s going to work his guts out because I think we have more pressure than we’ve ever had as a football club.

“In fact, I’m quite excited by the fact we’ve got more pressure because it means we’re becoming a bigger club. I’m excited about being a big club in League One next season.”